When Dany opened the doors, she suspected that she would see a man that she was so much longing to see, yet her expectations were turned upside down.
"Can we take a moment of your time?" Arya said, standing right next to Sansa, they both looking like they just had a heated argument.
"Of course" Dany responded wearing a gentle smile, trying to hide her embarassment not letting Sansa see how vulnerable she really can get.
She nodded towards Missandei who quickly bowed and left the room giving Daenerys a sorry look, like she was apologizing to her for something. Dany shook her head, and closed the doors behind her advisor.
"So, can I ask you both what is the reason of this visit?" she asked, awaiting the explanation of this late evening intrusion.
"We had a discussion, me and my sister." Sansa started, and took a look around the room that Daenerys was given. "About you. And about our brother." she finished, turning around to face Dany again.
"A discussion?" Dany asked, a bit curious. It hasn't happened yet for Sansa to act so openly blunt towards her, and she was wondering why exactly was she like that? Was it because of her sister?
"Yes. And we can't get to any conclusion, so we decided to confront you directly. Makes things easier, and much faster." Arya said, grabbing an apple from a bowl that stood on the table. Daenerys did not know if she should be offended by the manner of her speaking towards her, or should be grateful for giving up on silver lining like the rest of the people never did while talking to her. It kind off reminded her of her conversation with Yara, back in Mereen.
"And what is that, that you wish to confront me with?" Dany asked, still wearing a fake smile. She still felt like an intruder here, and it was mainly because of Sansa. They both were openly hostile towards each other since Dany set foot in Winterfell, and she wasn't going to forget about that just because there were no people around them this time. Arya and Sansa remained silent for a while, exchanging a look between each other, and this time Sansa was the one to spoke
"What is your true reason of being here? Besides getting an army, of course." She asked bluntly, and Daenerys sighed. She told her that once, what makes her think that she won't say the same thing? If she did not believe her the first time, why should she now?
"I told you already. I'm here because of your brother, and the Night King" she responded, not even trying to keep the smile up anymore.
"Yes, but you came here specificaly to defeat the Night King. Jon already swore fealty to you, so what is your point on being here now?" She asked, trying to dig even deeper. Dany knew the answer to that question, but she did not want to say it, so instead she decided to use Sansa's weapon against her.
"Let's say that I've listend to your words. I'm giving our armies time to rest, and my dragon time to heal." she said, remembering seeing Rhaegal crash down into the ground after his viscious fight with his undead brother. She remembered how she screamed, seeing Jon and her child fall down, but she wouldn't tell about it anyone else. She couldn't show weekness, not now.
"Bullshit." Arya said, making Dany look at her with big eyes.
"Excuse me?" She said, looking towards her with warning expression.
"Bullshit, I think that's what she said." Sansa said, not being concerned at all. They both weren't afraid of her, and Daenerys felt growing respect for the girls. Starks really acted like wolves in the pack. Caring about each other, yet hostile towards anyone that came from the outside. Caring about each other if it meant playing with the fire itself.
"Don't use my excuse, I won't believe that. You already have more men than Cersei does, even with Golden company at her side so there is no need of northmen in your army. And I'm not even mentioning the dragons. I will ask again, what reason do you have to stay here anymore? North is in alliance with you, and if you really know Jon, you know that he won't break an oath, so there is no need of your presence here." Sansa said, not breaking eye contact with Daenerys even for a second. Dany closed her eyes, feeling the walls closing in on her. Sansa was smart, no matter how she would like to say that she wasn't, the facts were right in front of her eyes. She knew that the best thing would just be to say the truth.
"I'm here for him" Dany whispered, looking down, not even bothering about sisters' opinion. It was painful for her, but that was the truth. She could go already, yet she decided to stay here, and wait for Jon to decide. But with each day that passed, she felt like the decision was already made, and she was postponing the inevitable, lying to herself that he may indeed still feel something towards her.
"You said it once, and I didn't believe you. Why should I now?" Sansa said with cold voice, yet her face changed without her even knowing that. It was clear that she did not suspect Daenerys to act this way, especially in her presence.
"It's the truth, I swear it." Dany said, and felt tears gathering in her eyes. It was too much for her. She couldn't stand being here, being surrounded by people that wished for her to leave them, by people that were afraid of her and hated her only because of sins of her father. And the only man that was kind to her, the only man that gave her reassurance, turned away from her. Yet she remained here. She remained here, only for the same man to come back to her, waiting for him to make up his mind.
After those words, they all remained silent. The moment she said them, the wind began to howl behind the windows, almost as it was trying it's best to confirm her statement, and make them both see the thing that they so desperately tried to avoid, that she in fact, loved him.
"There is a way to see if you are telling the truth." Arya said, breaking the silence, and looking through window, at the snow storm that was forming itself right in front of her eyes.
"I can tell if people are lying, a trick I've learned from Faceless man." Arya stated, but Daenerys did not know what she meant, and even if she knew, she didn't really care. The weight of all those days made it's way on her, making it hard for her to control her tears.
Sansa wasn't so sure, Arya forced her to play this game with her, the game of faces. Yet she did it when she was unsure of Sansa's true motives, and it worked. All she did was spoke the truth, and it was enough for Arya to believe her. She decided to trust her sister, and nodded towards her.
"Daenerys, look at me" Arya said, making Dany lift her head up, "Tell me, what is the real reason of you staying here?" Arya asked, looking her right in the eyes
"I love him. I love Jon, and I don't want to leave without him." She whispered, not being able to control her emotions anymore, and the moment she spoke those words, she felt the tears making their way onto her cheeks.
Sansa was in shock, she could not understand what was happening in front of her. Was there something Jon didn't tell them, did something happen between them? She shook off these thoughts, and the same moment Arya turned to her with a smile on her face. Not this fake smile that she wore since she came back to winterfell, a true, pure smile, which Sansa did not see on her face for many years.
"She is telling the truth. There is no mistake here." Arya said, and stood up. Sansa was still taken away by the sight that was forming right in front of her, the queen, at first view so powerful, elegant and cold... broken, right in front of her. She felt guilt wash over her, the feeling she did not feel for a long time, so what was the reason of that now?
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't break down in front of you." Dany said, and wiped away her tears, looking towards Arya, who was now looking at her with a smile on her face, and not her usual cold expression. A smile that made her feel a little warmer, warm so familiar to the one Jon was able to give her, yet so different at the same time.
"No, I'm the one to apologize here. I should not drag it out of you that way" Sansa said, not believing her own words. If someone would tell her that she would say those words to the woman in front of her, she would never believe him nor her.
"Well, it seems that we got what we came for Sansa." Arya said, and started making her way towards the doors.
"No, there is one more thing." Sansa said, making Arya freeze in her tracks. She looked towards her sister with her eyebrows lifted, waiting for her to continue
"It was clear for me that he loves you as well. So why did you just..." Sansa asked, and Arya grabbed her arm, shaking her head softly, telling her sister that this is not the time.
"There are many things. A things that I can't tell you about, because I don't have right to do so." Dany said, her eyes becoming watery again.
Sansa nodded, trying to understand the meaning of Daenerys words, and before she left the room, she came to Daenerys and kindly grabbed her hand, offering her a reassuring smile.
"Men are idiots, but they usually come to their senses. We will talk tommorow, get some rest Your Grace" Sansa said, to which dany smiled, and watched the girls leave the room, but before Sansa could close the doors, the girls turned around to face her once again.
"And also.. We've seen you, with the children. Thank you for taking care of them." they both said, offering Daenerys a subtle bow, a thing she didn't see Arya do before. She smiled once again and nodded to them, feeling the warm they offered her making slowly it's way to her heartA/M
I'm a bit late with this one, sorry sal6003, I couldn't find time earlier :(
YOU ARE READING
Targaryen Dynasty
RomanceRewrite of the second half of season 8 and beyond in Jonerys favor.